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Monday, February 17, 2014

A Day Late

This weekend feels like it flew by. So fast in fact that I'm having a hard time getting with my Sunday afternoon cooking ritual. We went to a fantastic party last night, got home late, got up late, and feel like we've dragged ourselves through the day. Not a lot has gotten done. And that's okay.

Here's this weeks receipts:

We spent a total of $136.18, though $30+ of this you'll notice is organic juices that Rik wanted for the week. I actually only added that to the list because somehow they ended up in the "What It Bought" picture below.

Here's what it bought:

A reader asked if I have a grocery list before I shop. The answer is sort of. I usually ask Rik what he'd like to have for dinner in the upcoming week and he gives me one or two ideas (this week it was tacos or burritos and a spaghetti squash rerun). I know I'll probably want some sort of soup or stew (if it's going to be cold out), so I make sure I've got what I need for that just in case. This week, Rik said he wants to do some juicing, so I picked up extra veges for that. I know I'll be making omelette muffins for him for breakfast along with the oatmeal muffins to go, so that goes on the list. I think I've probably got my home made creamer recipe down now (finally!!!) so that goes on the list. Then it's just staples like which meats I want to grill this week (salmon and steak), salad fixings, and staple veges and fruits. But since we've been eating this way for some time, I generally just take an inventory of what we have before I leave the house and then make notes of those things that either I don't generally purchase (this week: Agave nectar) or things from parts of the store I never go (basically the entire middle). But to actually post a list, it wouldn't be helpful based on what I already have at home to hand and since I don't generally stick to a set eating plan written out ahead of time.

The last few weeks my weight loss has totally stalled. In fact, I think I gained 2 pounds. But I've not been super careful about my eating during the week in cutting out ALL bread, and a few days I used coffee creamer with all the gross junk in it that tastes so dang good. And I found that losing weight (for me) means absolutely zero sugar or refined food of any kind.

I've also done really well with fixing food ahead of time for Rik, haven't been doing so well with fixing food ahead of time for me. So this week I rectified this by cooking up some extra brown rice and making a few snack-type foods for my afternoons, a time where I tend to turn toward foods that aren't going to help me reach my goals, like toast with almond butter and honey which, though not 'bad' foods, for me won't help me reach my goals as bread for some reason is one of those things that keep me from losing weight. Guessing it's a gluten thing.

Another thing I focused on this week was microsalads, something a little bit sweet for my afternoon sugar craving that generally hits around 2 o'clock. You know how sometimes eating vegetables your jaws get tired of chewing long before your stomach gets full? Microsalads are a good solution for this. As I've stated before in this blog, I like a handful of crisp baby carrots. And I love a nice juicy apple. But eating both if you're pressed for time (like on a break) might be a bit difficult. That's a lot of chewing. Enter the micro-salad concept: I can enjoy both, in rather large quantities, in under five minutes thereby helping to reach that target daily fruit/vege servings-per-day and enjoy the process at the same time! Here's what I came up with:

Apple Carrot Confetti Salad

Two large handfuls baby carrots

1 Granny Smith apple, cored and coarsely chopped

2 soft dates, pitted (if you want it a little sweeter)

1/2 cup sliced fresh pineapple

Add all to the food processor fitted with an s-blade and pulse until carrots and apples are in small pieces but not applesauce.

The acid from the pineapple will keep the apples from turning brown, and the sweetness of the dates will add just that little bit of yum to the otherwise juicy and slightly tart deliciousness that has now become your 2 PM snack!

This recipes makes about 2 good-sized servings. Here are the stats:

Calories 123

Potassium 531 mg

Fiber 6 g

Vitamin A 308%

Vitamin B6 9.5%

Vitamin C 15.6%

Calcium 4.5%

I wasn't able to finish this post yesterday so the date is wrong and you'll end up getting Monday's post later on today. Enjoy the rest of your day!

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About The Author

Melissa lives in Colorado with her Person (Rik) and their Dog (Rocket). The free time she has is spent sleeping, participating in kitchen alchemy, making jewelry, reading (particularly everything about Henry VIII or anything by Diana Gabaldon), baking awesome desserts, and looking for the best deals on the highest heels. Her favorite color is blue. Favorite day of the week is Friday (particularly 5p), and favorite time of day is Happy Hour. Weekends are spent on grand adventures with Her Person and Her Dog, and when one is away on military things, she spends those weekends combing thrift stores for the best designer deals and basking in the savings. She's the mom of two grown menboys. She's a daughter, sister, chef, grandma, wife, sometimes fashion consultant, author, lover, and self-professed shoe-whore. Who eats healthy.